Warren h



(No Model.)

W. H. FROST. RESONANT M No. 552,612.

USIGAL INSTRUMENT OR TQY.

Patnted Jan. 7

E d J 4 g Imam/c0900 a? $41? UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN H. FROST, 0F "CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RESONANT M u s c L srucrrrcnrrroiv forming part of Letters Applicationfiled April 13 9 5.

Toys, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention embraces a tube or tubular passage having a loose flexibleinelastic dia-.

- and the vibratory tone or musical sound is phragm, such asgold-heaters skin, arranged across the opening or passage at a pointintermediate the ends of the tube or'passage,

produced by applyingthe mouth of the operator to one end of the tube.The resonator thus-reproduces, in its characteristic manner, the tonesor notes uttered into it by. the operator. Y

distinguished from a reed or similar .-instrument which responds to acurrent of air from A current of air would produce I the lungs. noresult whatever in my apparatus. Airvibratibns, however, accompanied ornot with a current of air, are reproduced and amplified and have acharacteristic mechanical tone added to them which permits ofmimickingor producing the sounds of wind and other musical instruments,and this is done by the operation of the lungs and vocal organs.

I prefer to employ a tube divided trans versely into two relativelyunequal sections,f and the mouth of the operator is applied to the freeend of the short r section. Iconnect the two sections by a; etalscrew-coupling or other suitable means, and the dia-' phragm isplacedacross the opening in. the

tube at the junction of the two sections. It can thus be easilyreplacedj repaired, or examined, as may be required. I prefer to formthe diaphragm of gold-heaters skin or any I may use Rubber will notperform the necessary functions because it is elastic. A metal plate ordiaphragm is excluded fromthe scope of my improvement because it is notflexible.

characteristic features of the diaphragm must include a uniformflexibility, soft, loose, like the skin .or paper as distinguished frommetal, and the" inelasticity of skin orpaper as distin guished from theelasticity of thin sheet,-

The Y Patent No. ssaeiadateu January 7, 1896.

serial No. 544,712. ma a.)

rubber. I The diaphragm must be held inposition firmly while it is looseor capable of I assuming the condition of a filled sail. It results fromthis arrangementthat a vibratory tone accompanied with an air-current ofvarying strengthwill be reproduced by myresonator with wider variationsand greater fidelity to the initiating cause than in any instrumentheretoforeknown; I find it of great benefit to arrange a vent, outlet,or aperture in the wall of the tube between the diaphragm and the end ofthe tube to which the mouth is applied. Thisis to allowfor the escape ofthe air coming from the lungs of the operator.

movable wooden ring or frame, and I supply I 1 these mounted diaphragmsas a separate ar- This instrument or device must be clearly I ticle ofmanufacture whichfare supplied in or-applied to cific forms.

for the diaphragm isprovided with means, such as acircumferentialgroove, over and 'm'entary contact-surface, which rim registers with thegroove in the frame of the diaphragm, so. that hen the diaphragm is inposition between the two sections of tube. this cording to the spaceseparating the two sections, this being of turns given to the couplingdevice employed, I prefer toperforate the longer tubesection through theside wall at a point near the diaphragm, so as. to permit of the freedistribution of the tones. [The hole or aperpassage.

' Theaccompanymg invention.

Figure Ibodying drawings illustrate my myIim'provements; Fig. 2-.is along'itudinal, section, thereof." Fig. 3 is a modi-I fled instrumentformed of metal. Fig;- 4 shows the separable diaphragm with a section oftube attached. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing the separablediaphragm as various patterns.

provide a rim or projection upon thecompledependent upon the number Iprefer .to cement the diaphragm to a requantities and may bequicklysubstituted resonating devices of other spe I The ring or frame orsupport I across which the diaphragm is-placed, and I So if rim orprojection may be caused to tighten the diaphragrn' to a greater or;less extent, a'cturelshould be about the size of the main ICO mountedfor application to instruments of 1 95 1 is a view of an instrument 8111I eter as the main passage. d isa diaphragm I A and B, Figs. 1 and 2,are sections of tub ing, and may be. of wood or rubber, while in.

Fig. 3 the tube is of metal. and-trumpet shaped. In Fig. 2 the hole,passage, or'opening through the tube is of uniform diameter andpreferably smooth. I) is an'outlet for the tone or sound, of about thesame diamis a shoulder or projection on the end of thetube B, whichprovides a groove or depressionlike 8, Fig.6, and over this thediaphragm is placed- 'lhe'end of the tube-section A is provided with arimor projection registering a with the groove sin B; O is ascrew-coupling for uniting the parts A and B, and by varying the numberof turns the parts A and B may be more or less closely united, so as tovary the degree of slack or looseness in Q the diaphragmd. The diaphragmis always loose, but the degree of slack is thus adjusted or regulated,afemale voice requiring less slack in the diaphragm than in the case ofa deep-toned or male voice. There is an aperture or passage 'a.extending from a point betweenthe end of the tube-section A and thediaphragm, so as to allow for the escape of the current-of air comingfrom the lungs in.

using the-voice. This aperture is necessary to produce uniformsuccessful operation by an unskilled playeigfor while it is possible topart the lips or separate thelips at the point of contact with themouthpiece, to alto make'the section of tubeA about 0 low' the air fromthe lungs and the vocal vibrationsto eseape; this-act requiresskill aiidforethought, and by placing the opening a between the end of themouthpiece and the diaphragm I provide (for such escape and produce-acertain-and successful result in spite of the want of: skill of theplayer-J the length of the tube-section B, as ave found this. proportionto yield approxima ely the best results in general use. i a

Instead of connecting the diaphragm to' one end of the tube'section B I'may employ a separate ringor frame f, Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6.- The framehas the suitable diameter-4 groove sand the hole h, of he diaphragm ofgoldbeaters skin (I is. cemented to it loosely and the frame fisincluded between 'two tube-sections. I prepare diaphragms attached, toframes in this way for use in connection with any pattern or style oftube and they form a separate article'of manufacture and sale.

In Fig. 3, T is a trumpet-shaped tubular section terminating inascrew-thread termishoulder to. receive the frame f, carrying a diaphragmd. The tube-section A screws down upon frame f to a greater or lessextent. to vary the adjustment of'diaphragm d as described.- Theinstrument shown inFig. 3 is capable of wider utility and has a greatercapacity but is more expensive to manufact ure:

In Fig. 4 the frame f and diaphragm d are united to a short tube-sectionA by a screwcoupling 0. This provides an instrument of limited utilitybut is'least expensive to manufacture. Y

to the end A and the vocal organs are operated sult is a reproduction ofthe tones, notes or resonance of the instrument,.which affords astriking mimic reproduction of the music or instrument imitated.

' I am aware of the United States patents of J A. Maloney, No. 362,100,dated May 3,' 1'887,:for an auriphone, and T. A. Edison, No. 394, 1,06,dated December 4,1888, for a phonograph-reproducer, and I do not claimany thing therein shown or described. In both said patents a diaphragmisshown and described which is tightly stretched or taut. Such a diaphragmwould be absolutely useless in my apparatus and I limit my claims to acombination, one element of which is a loose flexiblefinelasticdiaphragm. By this limitation I also entirely exclude rubber and metaldiaphragms from the scope of my claims.

f -What I-claim', and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 7 "1-.i-In'amusicalinstrumentthecombination of a tube or tubular passage, anda loose, flexiopening at. a point intermediate the ends thereof,saiddiaphragmbeing free and disconnected except at its edge orcircumference, substantially as described. t

2. In a musicalinstrument the combination of a tube or tubular passage,a loose, flexible, inelastic diaphragm arranged across'the opening at apoint intermediate the'ends thereof, andavent, outlet or aperturebetween the end applied to the mouth and said diaphragm, substantiallyas described.

3. In a musical instrument the combination of a tube, tubular passageorring, and a loose, flexible, inelastic diaphragm. arranged across theopening, said diaphragm being free and disconnected except at its edgeor circumfei-'--. .ence, substantially as described.

\VARREN l-I. FROST. Witnesses-:..

W. vS. PLACE,

r W. BI'VANSIZE.

In using the apparatus themouth'is appliedv music with an addedcharacteristic due to the ble, inelastic diaphragm arranged across the.

75 to simulate any'iuusic or musical instrument of which the human voiceis capable. The re-.

